


With Shield and Sword

by Baron_FV



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, First time writing romacne, Master & Padawan Relationship(s), Master & Servant, Strangers to Lovers, Teacher-Student Relationship, first time posting on this site, let's see how it goes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:29:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27560782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baron_FV/pseuds/Baron_FV
Summary: While walking through the Kingdom's edge, Nailmaster Oro finds a half-dead ant, and after a moment's hesitation, decides to bring him home and heal from his injuries. At roughly the same time, God Tamer is growing increasingly bored with her lonely life at the colloseum. Will these three Bugs, each one broken in their own way, be able to find and help each other?Now with a cover that can be found here: https://www.deviantart.com/baronfv/art/With-Shield-And-Sword-862142361
Relationships: God Tamer/Tiso (Hollow Knight)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 66





	1. Prologue

Prologue ~ Broken Shield

Nailmaster Oro stood silently beneath the howling cliffs of the Kingdom's edge, it wasn't often that he wandered out of his secluded house, deep inside the caverns, but one could endure the same four walls only for so long before having to choose between going outside or going insane

So every once in a while, he would leave his hermitage and go wander through the white wasteland outside, even if just for a short while, today has been one such day

Oro shook off the thin layer of white dust that never ceased to fall from above, the Nailmaster supposed he could find that view somewhat beautiful, if he didn't know what the source was, that the dust falling from the sky was literally the dead skin of his former king's previous body

Such a powerful creature he has been, that even his death completely transformed the landscape of this realm, ancient too. Oro could not remember time when the kingdom's end was not covered in a thick layer of white dust

He could, however, remember when it was not strewn with corpses

It seemed that every minute somebody would foolishly die in that wyrm-forsaken arena and their body would be thrown out to join the rest below, it was lucky that most of them fell into the acid pit at the bottom, otherwise, Oro suspected, one would have to walk on dead bodies in order to get anywhere

With that thought in mind, Oro turned around, and continued climbing even higher than he already was

Usually he didn't venture that far from his hut, the cliff range has grown a lot more dangerous in the past few years, along with the rest of the kingdom, and it's not like there was anyone he could visit, not anymore at least

Yet today he decided to go much further, not for any particular reason, he just felt like it. Afterall, not everyone needed ''Destiny'' and ''Honor'' guiding their every move

As he walked, he observed the bodies in his path, he never fought in the colosseum himself, but he knew enough of it to recognize that none of these bugs were real warriors, most of them wore so much armor they could hardly move and their idea of fighting was to charge the enemy, without planning on what the next step should be, and swinging their weapons in their foe's general direction

Some of them had some sort of trick up their sleeve, but usually only one, and once that trick was learned, they became equally as easy to defeat as the others

And some arrived at the colosseum without proper armor or weapons to participate in such a barbaric entertainment, either out of poverty or arrogance, and so they died foolishly, even more so than the rest. One such bug was the one laying before him right now, on the edge of a cliff, one hand dangling uselessly in the wind

An ant, if Oro was not mistaken, the nailmaster walked closer to get a better look

An ant indeed, with only a simple chestplate, now cracked, and a round shield lying by his side, their face hidden by his hood, no sword in sight. The sight of the fallen fool was somehow particularly saddening to Oro, even though he just walked past at least a dozen of other corpses

Why did this bug come here? To the colosseum of fools? What did he hope to achieve? Fame? Fortune? Recognition? Glory? Something else?

Whatever it was, he would get none of that now, the last things he probably received were finishing blow and mocking laughter

Oro frowned to himself, why should he feel pity for that fool? He knew damn well what he was getting himself into. The Naimaster suddenly lost all interest in further exploration, and begun turning back, it was past time for him to return to his hut and make sure that no damn aspids decided to make a nest there during his absence

And he would do just that, if not for the hand gripping weakly at his leg

The Nailmaster slowly looked back at the fool, not yet dead after all. He was trying, and failing, to pull himself up, Oro could see the pair of white eyes under the hood, looking at him in desperation and disbelief

~why….?~

It was all the ant managed to whisper, before he slumped back to the ground, unconscious yet again

For a moment, Oro just stood there flabbergasted, then he looked up, at where the colosseum of fools was, had this bug just been knocked out, mistaken for dead and consequently thrown down from the arena?

Details like that could probably slip past the fools pretty easily

But if so, he should be dead anyway, no one could survive that fall, not even if you somehow managed to miss all the platforms and cliffs and landed in the liquid below

But by whatever miracle, the ant at his feet was still alive and breathing, if only barely, Oro could feel many conflicting emotions inside himself, and many conflicting ideas in his head about what his next course of action should be

…

But there was only one thing he could do here, wasn't there?

…

~godsdamnit~

And with that final grunt, the Naimaster lifted the extremely lucky fool from the ground, and begun his march back to his hut, deep beneath the carcass of his former king


	2. A tragedy of two ants

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tiso gets his heroic posing ruderly interrupted, God Tamer's bored out of her mind and lonely af

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's a second chapter of this little adventure, a slightly longer one and an absolute record when it comes to me and updates

Chapter 1 ~ A tragedy of two ants

Tiso thrust his arm forward and slashed through another enemy, the fool fell to the ground with a grunt of pain, and with that the arena were once again clear of any bug except of him

He took that chance to catch his breath, after finally making his way to the colosseum, he had to admit that it was… a bit harder than he imagined it would be, Tiso could feel his heart pounding in his chest, his breath loud and heavy. Every once in a while some fool would get lucky and manage to hit him…

But none of that really mattered! Not a bit! The only thing that did matter was his victory in the end, he was the only one left standing! The cheers of the public when he struck another lethal blow, the thrill of victory, it was all worth it

And his injuries? BAH, they barely managed to scratch his shell, and after all, what is a warrior without a few battle scars? 

As the cheering of the public began to die down, Tiso decided that he wanted it to go on a bit longer, and so he straightened his back and lifted his shield above his head, standing in a heroic pose with blood dripping off his shield

The crowd erupted in cheers once more and Tiso could practically feel his chest swell with pride. Yes, this was the moment he worked so hard for, finally he achieved glory he desired for so long. In that moment he was no longer just Tiso, he was Tiso the glorious, he was Tiso the mighty, he was Tiso the unbeatable, he was…

Suddenly in a shadow?

Tiso began to turn around, but before he could see what was blocking out his light, said something slammed at him from above with bone-shattering force

The ant felt as if Lord Fool himself decided to come back from the dead and launch himself at him across the colosseum 

Tiso could feel his armor crack under the immense weight, the blow made him dizzy, but he could still hear muffled laughter of the crowd, laughing at him, his moment of triumph brutally shattered

~No… Not like this…~ It was all he managed to mutter before darkness swallowed his mind 

When the Mawlek pulled itself from the crushed ant, it immediately rushed towards other fools that had entered the arena in the meantime, the battle carried on for a long time, but after all but one of the contestants had fallen, it was finally over 

Now it was time for the cleaners to enter the arena and prepare it for the next battle, and that of course meant throwing all those corpses to the pit below 

One of the cleaners walked up to the ant in blue armor, ah yes he remembered this one, the warrior without sword, as he was nicknamed by the audience in the short time he was in the fight

He definitely made an impression, with his style of fight, and that shield of his was certainly very unique 

The cleaner actually tried to take it off the fallen fool, but his fingers were clenched around the handle at the back, prying them open would take a long time and the next battle was about to begin

Oh well

The cleaner started dragging the corpse to the cliff edge, such a shame really, this one was showing more promise than your average fool, and was cut down in his moment of glory

too bad for him!

~Should’ve watched your back buddy~ The cleaner said as he flung the body over the edge and watched it fall into the pit below. It looked like it was about to plummet right into the abyss below, except a lost boofly floated into its path

The corpse impacted the creature, which produced a distressed *BZZZT* upon impact, bounced off it an landed on a rock shelf to the side 

The cleaner looked at it for a while longer, before he lost interest and returned to work

Tiso could slowly feel the world slowly return to him, and it was not a pleasant feeling, everything in his body hurt, his head was throbbing with pain, it was incomparable to anything he felt ever before, none of the wounds he received over the years ever ached this bad

Yet as he slowly regained consciousness, Tiso realized all this pain meant that he was most definitely alive, a fact both reliving, and not. Because if he was dead, he wouldn't have to deal with the reality of the situation

And the said reality was… that he lost, at nearly the end of his journey he lost, when he felt as if he was on top of the word, he was almost killed and unceremoniously tossed out like a bag of trash

Why? Was this always his destiny? To fail at the very end?

…

Tiso opened his eyes a little, the world around him looked blurry, but it was clear he was lying on a shelf somewhere in the kingdom’s edge, that’s where all fallen fools ended up after all

The fool in question tried to lift himself up, but gave up almost immediately, he barely had the strength to keep his eyes open, if he tried to stand up now he’d probably blackout again

So he just laid there, feeling sorry for himself, and als, though he’d never admit it before anyone, scared. He was in no state to defend himself from the beasts that wandered around every corridor and cave in this gods forsaken kingdom. Now even one of these pitiful city husks could kill him easily enough. How long before one of the aspids or hoppers found him and decided to make a feast out of his body?

Is this how he would die? Why couldn't he even be granted honourable death in battle? Instead of being eaten alive by weak creatures he could kill in an instant had he been in his prime? 

…

Or maybe they were right? Was he doomed to fail from the start? Just one ant against the world, with his dumb shield and inflated ego?  
…

Why did it have to end like this? 

As his thoughts were getting darker and more desperate, Tiso suddenly could see a large shape enter his field of vision. Was it some beast, finally here for a free meal? 

No it was standing upright, had a massive nail on its back and its eyes didn’t have that sick orange glow about them. It was definitely a bug, uninfected one at that, but what would be one doing around here of all places? The literal edge of the land?

Heh...Tiso could remember back in the day, when he was still a larva, when his caretakers used to tell him and his siblings stories before bed, all kinds of stories. One of them was a legend about an ancient god of death, a massive bug that came to collect souls of dying creatures, equating all, workers, soldiers and queens alike

So he was here to take his soul and take it to some unknown afterlife? If so… then Tiso had just one question for him

With a mighty effort Tiso used all the strength he had left, grabbed the figure by the leg and pulled himself up a little, his body screamed at him to stop but at this point he didn’t care anymore, he could feel his mind slowly slipping out of his grasp, but he pressed on

On the verge of collapse, Tiso opened his mouth and managed to say one singular word

~why….?~ 

And the world around him disappeared again

High up in the colosseum, away from the main quarters and the stench of the surviving fools, the God Tamer herself was lying alone on her luxurious bed

Clearly it was made for someone of much bigger posture, as she hardly occupied half of its surface, but that someone has been dead for years and his carcass could still be seen in the stands

When the Lord Fool finally went and kicked the bucket, his private quarters fell into the hands of the current champion, someone different at the time, and every time champion title changed hands, so did the keys to this room

honestly it was great, a place with a solid lock and thick walls, close to stables where her best friend Diabol resided, big comfy bed… An ideal place to rest after a long day of championing at the colosseum…

Or at least it would be, if you were actually tired

God Tamer was not

She didn’t actually run the colosseum, for the simple fact that it didn’t require much running these days, occasionally she needed to go find a menderbug somewhere to fix the mechanisms but that was it. They didn’t pay taxes because there was nobody to pay taxes to, theoretically a blessing, if not for the fact that there was no place left to spend all that saved geo as well.

Her problem? There was no one at the colosseum who could be a challenge for her, and she was lonely and bored as hell

She remembered things used to be different back in the day, when she was not yet champion, every day was exciting, a battle to the death, the thrill of victory and chest swelling with pride at the cheers of the audience, the feeling of comradery with her fellow fools

And then she defeated the current champion 

Heard he went mad afterwards

At first things didn’t really change, she now only battled fools that were good enough to get to her, and the life mostly went on as before

But as time went on, she kept getting better and better, until there was no one in the arena who could be a challenge for her and her beast,

It reached a point when she would steamroll any opponent in mere minutes, not even breaking a sweat, the fight couldn't even get her excited anymore

Who could imagine being the champion of an arena full of bloodthirsty warriors would be this boring?

The comradery she once had with other fools slowly vanished, replaced by cold respect at best and jealous hate at worst, these fools she considered being closest to eventually...passed

So nowadays she spent her time practicing alone, killing an occasional fool or beast, and sitting in her room. Of course she had her Diabol, but as precious as he was, he could hardly hold a conversation, though his company was probably the only thing keeping her sane 

Quitting was not an option, where would she even go? The kingdom was dead and she didn’t feel like abandoning her comfy champion bed for cold caves and streets drenched in rain, she was much luckier than most

Still, she would occasionally wander around kingdom’s edge, sometimes with Diabol, sometimes alone, just to get away from the colosseum of fools, and away from the boring routine her life had become, quietly hoping to find something that would break it forever 

But unfortunately, every time she did, the Kingdom’s edge was just as silent, empty and dead as the rest of Hollownest


	3. Unpleasant awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tiso wakes up in an unfamilliar place and meets a big, grumpy bug

Chapter 3 ~ Unpleasant awakening 

Tiso was kneeling in the middle of the Colosseum of fools, his shield laid broken in half somewhere to the left, the champions blow shattered it like it was made of glass 

He could hear the mocking comments and laughter from the audience, their aim was steadily improving as the rotten edibles were now hitting their target more often than ever

It was his greatest nightmare, yet he didn’t have the strength to fight back anymore, the fight exhausted him both physically and mentally 

if it could even be called a fight, the champion just trashed him around like a sack of rotten potatoes, his shield bouncing off her armor harmlessly, not even leaving a dent

She towered over him now, her giant sword in hand, ready to deal the final blow. Tiso raised his head and looked straight at her, he might die today, but at least he would do so without fear, looking the champion in the eyes 

But then she took off her helmet, allowing him to see her face

He knew that face

And it terrified him 

He couldn't stop the shriek of terror that came out of his mouth, combined with his panicked attempt to scramble away from the ant in front of him caused the crowd to burst out in laughter once again, he didn’t care, he just kept on going until his back hit the wall 

The champion slowly approached him, her sword nonchalantly resting on her shoulder, her lips curving into a sadistic smile 

~Hello again, little worker, remember me? I told you I would find you sooner or later~ 

And with that, she raised her huge sword above her head, and sliced the air, aiming for his neck

Tiso let out the highest scream in his life, and closed his eyes as the whistling sound came closer and closer and then….

He woke up screaming like a little girl

The scream died in his throat as quickly as it appeared, and for a moment he just laid there, his breath quick and uneven , his eyeballs moving around frantically, looking for any sign of HER, but they couldn't find anything

His breath started slowing down when he realized it was just a dream, and that the big ant wasn’t there, wherever there was

Eventually he calmed down enough to start examining his surroundings. It didn’t look like a canyon full of dead corpses, and the ache all over his body told him that it wasn’t the afterlife either

Which was good because if this was how afterlife looked…. he would consider himself unimpressed

He was lying on a pile of what appeared to be old red curtains arranged into a makeshift bed, similar ones were hanging all around the room, giving it an ornate look. However one could easily see the simple grey walls beneath those curtains, and together with a thick layer of dust that covered the floor and furniture they negated that affect almost completely 

Tiso was releived that whoever moved him here was not present to witness his rather embarrassing awakening, he then tried sitting up, and immediately winced as a sharp pain cut through his thorax, nevertheless he pulled himself into a sitting position and only then proceeded to examine himself

wouldn't be much of a warrior if he couldn't deal with a bit of pain 

His armor has been removed and his thorax wrapped in a thick layer of bandages, they restrained his mobility somewhat, but he supposed that was the point, he had broken his carapace before and knew the drill 

The ant tried to figure out how he ended up where he was now, but couldn't remember anything after… after the big menacing figure. So that wasn’t a god of death after all? It was probably him who brought him here 

Tiso briefly wondered if he should try to stand up and explore his surroundings some more, but just then heavy footsteps could be heard from the entrance and in came one of the largest bugs he ever saw

He towered over Tiso by a good few feet, and was just as bulky as he was tall. Obviously a fighter, if the giant nail flung across his back was anything to go by. The long cloak with a puffy collar completed the look of a powerful warrior 

~Hmphh, so you’re finally awake?~ The large bug said in a gruff voice ~I was getting worried all my work would be in vain~ and with that, he proceeded to hang his giant nail on the wall and go about his business, completely ignoring Tiso

The ant watched him bustle around for a while, before the big bug finally sat down in the middle of the room and ceased to move

The silence that filled the room was deafening, at least to Tiso, how could this bug just… sit there? It was clear he was the one who saved him from certain death at the canyon, and now he would just ignore him like that?

Tiso did not like being ignored 

~So uhh… Can I know your name?~, he asked somewhat awkwardly, but this situation was extremely awkward already so... 

~And why should I tell you that?~ The large bug answered, not even raising his head 

Wha- what was this guy’s problem?! Tiso had to swallow down the first response that came to his mind, and instead said ~We’ll I just wanted to know who I should thank for saving my life~ Tiso was not one to give thanks lightly, but he supposed literally saving his life would warrant one… plus it might help him to finally learn the name of that ill-mannered bug…

~Hmph, well I do believe you do owe me a thanks, very well, You can call me Oro.~ 

A few seconds of silence

~Well? What about that show of gratitude?~

~Oh yes, so… Thank you Oro… for saving me~ It came out a bit awkward, but Tiso was not used to thanking, well anybody. Great warriors do not show their appreciation to just anybody, and he still didn’t want to admit before himself that he had needed rescue…. Still that was the reality and he couldn't ignore it just because he didn’t like it

After that uncomfortable exchange Tiso asked his host where was his armor and shield, after being pointe in the right direction he stood up and winced and the pain that filled his body, but didn’t let that discourage him

His shield and armor were in even worse shape than he was, with long nasty cracks running through both of them. But what’s worse, his shield’s internal mechanism that allowed it to open up was broken. Now without access to the blades inside, it was no better than any ordinary shield

The armor would be fairly easy to fix, as soon as he gets his hands on some materials and tools, but the shield? It was a different level of complexity entirely and so he would need some very specialized tools. 

Normally Tiso would just seek out a craftsman of some sorts and rent his tools, but where would he find one in a dead kingdom? 

Suddenly the ant heard footsteps at his side, Oro set down a plate with some food on it next to him

~You should eat something, you’ve been unconscious for two days and I’d rather you didn’t starve and have all my hard work be in vain~ 

Although his tone was rude as before, Tiso could not help it but be grateful for the food, he couldn't believe it took him until then to notice just how ravenous he was. The food on the plate was just some plain raw maggot meat, but he didn’t mind. Tiso was used to this type of cuisine and although as a great warrior he definitely was entitled to the best food around, he didn't feel like being picky right now 

So he took the food and Oro went back to… meditating most probably, Tiso couldn't help but feel like has heard that name before, but he couldn't remember correctly if and when 

Anyway he ate the food and returned his attention towards his armor and shield, in the end he decided to put the breastplate back on, cracked or not, it was still better than no armor at all, but his shield was a different matter 

No blades meant that it’s offensive capabilities were lowered substantially, and though he certainly could use it to simply bash someone’s head in, that’s how he used to do it back in the day, he’d rather not risk it breaking completely with that nasty crack running through it, which meant that he’d have to find himself a replacement for the time being 

They probably had a spare at...the...colosseum…. 

At the thought of that place, memories flooded his head, the feeling of victory, the crushing weight of failure (and the beast) and the cheers of the audience turning to laughter in a matter of seconds

The memory then turned into anger, and anger turned into a cold, hateful fury. How dared they mock him like that? How dared they!? Didn’t he fight valiantly and mercilessly? Until that… that THING came at him, from behind! He was distracted! It was not fair! Anyone who had eyes could see it was not fair! 

He felt rage fill him and the last remains of rational thoughts evaporate from his head, he knew what to do, he’ll go right back to that place and show them all, show them why they shouldn't have turned on him so quickly, HE WILL SHOW THEM ALL!!!

He quickly collected the rest of his equipment from the floor and started walking to the exit, overcoming the dull pain in his limbs

And then something big and annoyed blocked his path 

~ And where do you think you’re going?~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's chapter 3 of this little adventure
> 
> Dear potential readers, if you have anything you'd like to say, don't hesitate to leave a comment, and I would like to ask your opinion on the following matter, what is better? Shorter but more frequent chapters? Or longer chapters but for the price of longer waiting time?


	4. The beginnings of a beautifull friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tiso has an existential crisis
> 
> Oro regrets everything
> 
> The author still doesn't know what else to put in tags

Oro was staring down at the ant, who in turn was looking up angrily, a snarl clearly visible under his hood

~Where do you think I’m going? Back to the colosseum to reclaim my honor and teach those fools a lesson! Now step aside!~

Ah yes, there it was, Oro was expecting this kind of behaviour, most of the fools at the colosseum were in it for money, but those who came for ‘’honor’’ were much more common than they used to be before the number of shops in Hallownest fell drastically

Those daring adventurers came in all shapes and sizes, but they all had at least one thing in common, their overinflated ego could be shattered into million tiny pieces with almost no effort whatsoever 

So yes, Oro expected the ant would want to return to the colosseum, and probably before he was fully recovered too

But what surprised him was just how soon this guy would try to do this,by the wyrm he literally just woke up! 

Unfortunately for him, Oro wasn’t gonna let him go so easily, he didn't care for the ant in the slightest, he had no reason to, but he had carried his unconscious body through that white wasteland outside all the way from where he found him back to his hut, bandaged his wounds and even shared his food with him! 

And he wasn’t going to let all this go to waste because this prideful idiot was too thick headed to realize when it was time to stop 

~No you’re not, you wouldn't survive an hour outside and not even a full minute in the colosseum, now stop with this childish nonsense and go lay back down, you need more rest~

Unsurprisingly, this only angigated the ant more, he thrust his chest out to make himself look bigger (an amusing sight from oro’s perspective) and let out a warning hiss before shouting

~Nonsense?! You’re the one talking nonsense! I’m Tiso, the future champion of the colosseum of fools! Now move before I make you!~ and with that he gripped his shield and assumed a battle position, with his knees bent, head low and the arm holding the shield bent backwards and ready to thrust

And if it weren’t for the delicate yet clearly visible trembling of his limbs, Oro might have gotten just a bit concerned 

Instead, he was just getting angry 

So far he had done a great job of keeping his emotions in check, but this ‘’Tiso” was really getting on his nerves, but he didn’t want to smack him around too much because then his wounds might open again and-   
The pacifist path could not be explored however, as Tiso decided he was done waiting for Oro to let him out, and in a moment of sheer genius, decided that he was going to move the two-times larger bug himself

In an instant he crouched down and launched himself at the nailmaster, but his moves were sluggish, slowed down by pain and stiffness, and Oro simply stepped aside, dodging the attack easily 

Tiso flew by, pain and surprise mixed on his face, and landed on the floor, or at least attempted to land

Back in the day he would have no problem with a leap like that, but now his body was too weak to support his mad acrobatics, and so he crashed hard to the floor and tumbled a few meters with a pained grunt

A faint smell of hemolymph filled the air, and Oro realized that the absolute idiot opened his wounds again in the process

The Nailmaster was past being angry, now he was absolutely pissed

Tiso attempted to lift himself up, but before he could get far a massive hand wrapped around his neck and raised him into the air, his feet were dangling a good distance from the floor, and he could see the furious face of his rescuer right in front of him 

~YOU MORON! DO YOU REALIZE HOW PITFULLY STUPID YOU ARE BEING RIGHT NOW!? YOU COULDN'T DEFEAT A FAT HUSK RIGHT IN YOUR STATE! YOU’RE OBVIOUSLY IN PAIN AND YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE A NAIL! ARE YOU REALLY SO DELUSIONAL TO THINK THAT YOU COULD BE ANY CHALLENGE TO ME?!~

He held the wriggling ant tightly, and carried him back to the pile of curtains 

~I DIDN’T NEED TO DO ANYTHING FOR YOU, I COULD HAVE LEFT YOU ON THAT LEDGE TO DIE AND NO ONE WOULD CARE, AND THAT IS HOW YOU THANK ME?!~

The ant was unceremoniously dropped on the makeshift bed, and Oro lowered himself to face him, the rage in his voice replaced with cold fury and disdain ~And I hate to break it to ya, ‘’Tiso’’, but even before you fell in the colosseum, you were nothing special. I know your type, you arrogant and prideful fools! You strut around like butterflies, bragging about your skills and what not, but when the push comes to shove, you turn out to be as average as one can get~ 

He started to walk off, stomping angrily 

~But I wasted too much of my time on you already to let you die like an idiot now, so stay where you are while I get new bandages for you, and take off that armor so I can put them on!~ 

And with that, he was gone, but Tiso could still hear his angry grumbles and stomping  
Tiso just sat there stunned, after a while he started mechanically removing his armor

He was stunned and speechless, nobody has insulted him like that since, well, since he left the colony. Some small part of him wanted to stand up and go tell that ignorant brute to go drown himself, but this time his self-preservation instinct finally started kicking in 

Also, some small part of him couldn't help but wonder, what if Oro was right? He did give out an impression that he knew what he was talking about. 

Tiso always thought highly of himself, even before he left the colony to wander the wastes, and he has won every fight he got himself into since then…

...well...maybe ‘’he survived every fight’’ would be more appropriate...but he never really had a reason to doubt himself before…

Then again, in the wastes he only ever faced mindless beasts, or poorly equipped bandits, and though they weren’t by any means harmless, the fools at the colosseum were in a different league entirely 

That was the reason he seeked it out after all, to find a real challenge 

He hissed, as a new wave of pain shoot through his body, Oro was right, his wounds were open again, his hemolymph was leaking out, and he had nobody to blame for it but himself

When he finally took off his chest plate and the now bloody bandages, his moves slowed down by his wounds, Tiso just laid down and waited, after a short while Oro came back with fresh cloth and (grudgingly, but still) got to re-bandaging Tiso’s wounds 

When that was done, the bigger bug simply walked off without a word, leaving Tiso with all the time he needed to think, and boy, did he have things to think about 

A lot of things has happened to him in the past few days, some of them he would never think could, but they did anyway

And with everything that has transpired, it awakened something in Tiso’s mind, some thought he’d since long buried under an unhealthy amount of arrogance and pride

And that something was a knowledge, knowledge that he was not even half as amazing as he kept telling himself and everyone around him. He always knew this, deep, deep down inside, but he never wanted to admit it to himself, always making excuses when things didn’t go his way 

Except he couldn't pretend any more, not after everything that happened, and that realization almost crushed him like that beast on the arena

Because if he wasn’t Tiso the great warrior, then who was he? Simple workers didn’t get to have much personality in the colony, at least his colony, so that was essentially all he knew about himself and who he was, but if that wasn’t true then was he still just a pitiful drone? Meaningless and weak on his own? 

He didn’t like where this train of thoughts was going, so he attempted to distract himself with something different

Like the big bug, again meditating in the middle of the room

It was a bit embarrassing to admit, but Tiso didn’t pay his rescuer nearly as much mind as he should, sure he asked him his name, but that was pretty much it, after that he was busy inspecting hi armor and shield, and after that with...other things

But now he was watching Oro closely, who was that giant warrior with his enormous nail? What was he doing here? Living alone in one of the most remote places in all of Hallownest? 

Tiso suddenly remembered a conversation he had quite some time ago, with that old bug in the city of tears who asked him if he had anything of historic value that he could buy 

Tiso usually wasn’t interested in useless trinkets, but he just so happened to have one with him at the time, a white...fork...thing he found in the bubble canyon, he thought it looked neat, so he took it

He offered it to the old shopkeeper, who nearly jumped out of his shell when he saw it, but instead of geo he asked for information about the colosseum and where to find it

The old bug was evidently a bit of a babbler, as he told Tiso the location of the colosseum, but also everything else he knew about Kingdom's edge. And even though Tiso stopped listening at some point, he could still remember the detail if he concentrated really hard 

He was certain the old guy mentioned someone important living somewhere in Kingdom’s edge. He was supposedly a pretty big deal, at least before Hallownest fell. Tiso struggled to remember what the old shopkeeper called this bug…

Yes he was prettys sure he said Oro...Oro the….the….hmmm…

wait

~Are you Oro the Nailmaster?~ Tiso almost shouted

The big bug looked up at him 

~What gave it away? The giant nail on the wall?~

Tiso didn’t care about his mocking tone, he knew who Nailmasters were! Great warriors, responsible for teaching nail arts to whole generations, their legend extended even beyond Hallownest

~I’ve heard you were one of three greatest warriors in the whole kingdom!~ 

Oro sighed, he was kinda hoping the ant would just shut up, for a while at least

~Well four actually, and there were also knights…. But anyway what’s it to you?~

Well a lot actually, Tiso knew that Nailmasters were obligated to pass down their knowledge and skill to those willing to learn, and with the recent realization about himself…. well let’s just say Tiso was more than willing

But when he suggested this to Oro, the Nailmaster just gave him an amused look and a cold laugh. ~Really? You’re quite something you know. First you attack me, disrespect me in my own home, and next you ask me to teach you. Do tell me, Tiso, why should I agree to this?~

That was a good question, unfortunately for Tiso, who was once again gripped by fear, has his hotheadedness cost him his only chance? No, no he couldn't give up so easily 

~I thought the Nailmasters are obligated to pass on their knowledge?~ 

Oro groaned when he heard that, yes this ridicolous rule,he had hoped the ant woudn’t know about it , sometimes he wondered who was stupid enough to come up with something so dumb

Oh well, time for the good old discouragement 

~Yes that’s true, however there’s no rule preventing me from demanding a payment for my troubles, let’s see, how about….. 

And then he demanded a sum so outrageously big, it took Tiso’s brain a solid five seconds to process it

~Are you mad? I don’t think there’s even that much geo in the entire Hallownest!~ 

Oro just gave him a wicked smile ~Watch your mouth or I’ll double it, that’s my house and my rules, and I say my lessons are worth that much, of course if you can’t pay….

No, Tiso couldn't pay that, not in a million years. But he needed this, so he started wondering what could he offer to this bug instead

When Oro saw the ant go quiet, he was sure he successfully discouraged him from further attempts, good, now he just had to wait a week or two until he heals enough to not get killed immediately upon leaving, and he’ll be out of his….

~What if I worked for you in exchange for lessons?~ 

Well that has never happened before

He gave the ant a critical look ~And why do you think I’d prefer your work over money?~  
~Not many places left to spend the money, and don’t take it the wrong way~ He gestured at the floor and furniture covered with dust ~But it looks to me like you could use a hand, don’t worry about the quality of my services, I’m an ant, I can work hard~

Oro grumbled to himself, as much as he hated to admit, he found Tiso’s proposition kida alluring, it would be neat to have his own servant to boss around, plus the ant was right about the money, not much to do with it these days

He thought about it some more, and finally made a decision, yes he was going to teach this ant in exchange for his work, and who knows? Maybe he can knock some sense into his head in the process

~Hmph, fine, I agree to take you as my student AND as my servant for the duration of your study, you better don’t disappoint me as either~ 

Tiso was overjoyed, he didn’t think that would actually work, he was also kinda nervous about what his new master was gonna put him through, he didn’t like the thought of having a master again….but that was different. He eagerly extended his arm

~It’s a deal!~

Oro rolled his eyes, but shook his hand, careful not to grip to hard, and walked back to his meditating spot 

~Now for your first task, lay back down and have some more rest, the lessons and work will begin after you’re healed enough for what I have in store for you~

Tiso nodded his head and laid back down, careful not to disturb his bandages,He was much more hopeful about the future now than he was just a little while ago, but he could also tell the next months will be long and hard, and he’ll have to get used to taking orders from others, again

But after that, he’s going right back to colosseum, and this time, he will be victorious

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one came out in a record time I think
> 
> I didn't think Oro would care enough to ask Tiso about his name, so I had him just kinda yell it out in anger, seems like something he would do
> 
> So yea this is where I'm going with this, Tiso is gonna have a hard time for the foreseeable future, but hopefully by the end of this he's gonna be better than he is now, time will tell
> 
> Any thoughts? leave a coment and I'll see if my shy personality will let me reply


	5. A meeting by the stream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two ants finally meet each other, to the amusment of one and irritation of the other

* * *

Tiso grumbled to himself as he rubbed the pieces of cloth together in an attempt to remove the stains of some unidentified liquid, his hands were slowly going numb because of the cold water in the stream, which was not making the task any easier

After he and his new ‘’master’’ struck the deal about his training, he was kinda disappointed to hear that it would be at least two weeks before they would start, that’s how long it would take for Tiso’s wounds to heal enough for it, or so Oro said

Tiso obviously was not very happy about this, but by this point he knew better than to try arguing with the bigger bug

It was however only a few days before Oro gave him his first tasks, this made Tiso understandably upset, and he demanded to know why should he work if his training wasn’t about to start for some time yet

He was surprised to hear that this was supposed to better prepare him for the actual training that was about to come

* * *

~ Are you going to show me a secret cleaning technique that will unexpectedly come in hand during a battle and save my shell against all odds? ~

~ Wha- No! Where did you get THAT idea from?! ~

* * *

Oro’s argument was that if he would just sit around for two weeks, or more, then his muscles would weaken and he would have to build them back up, so in order to prevent that, he would be doing some tasks around the house, starting immediately

Which is why he was currently attempting to wash these heavy curtains in a small stream Oro showed him the other day, an unusual sight in the Kingdom’s edge, usually only filled with acid ponds and rivers

The task was certainly not easy, it took a lot of scrubbing and washing to get the stains out, it was a hard job, but Tiso didn’t want to look weak in front of his new mentor, so he didn’t complain

A few more minutes of labor, and the last piece of material was beginning to look clean, good, only a few more minutes of this, and Tiso could go back to Oro’s hut. His injuries felt better and better every day, and his training was about to begin very soon. He was eagerly awaiting it, but also couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious. He wondered how training under his new master would look like, Oro didn’t give out an impression of a kind, patient teacher. He was always cold and distant at best, and he already gave Tiso a demonstration of what can happen when he loses his patience.

On the other hand, working under him was hard, but not unbearably so. His tasks were not unreasonable or sadistic, and he made sure not to put too much strain on Tiso’s body, only giving him jobs he knew the ant could handle. Tiso could certainly think of a few bugs much worse than him in that regard

But even if he would turn out to be as harsh and cruel teacher as could be, Tiso knew he would pull through and emerge stronger than before, he might not be as great a warrior as he would like to be, yet, but no one could deny him his stubbornness

Finally the curtains were clean, or as clean as you can get without any soap… but Tiso finally could start his journey back, he put the curtains into a neat pile, and was about to lift it, when he heard a voice, just behind him

~Wow! I didn’t expect to see you ever again, especially not doing laundry!~

* * *

God Tamer rested her giant sword on the bed frame, today has been a bit more action-packed than usual, and she had just finished cleaning it off all the blood. The fools that made it to her were as pathetic as usually, and she had crushed them like all the others, well she and Diabol together. Speaking of her best friend, he was currently in the stables, resting and licking his wounds, nothing serious, but he was still tired from the fight and just wanted to roll over and sleep until tomorrow

God Tamer however was still full of unused energy after the trials, and so decided to go on a little stroll through the caverns of the kingdom's edge and reduce the population of aspids and hoppers while at it. She would be going alone, and decided to leave her giant sword at the colosseum (no reason to drag that heavy thing everywhere with her) instead opting to take one smaller, but just as deadly in her hands

She decided to sneak out the backdoor, rather than exit through the main gate, her absence often evoked an unhealthy sense of impunity among other fools and she would rather avoid having to deal with any potential mess. That, and she also wanted to avoid talking to that strung-up fool. Seriously, how was that thing still alive? He refused to be taken down by anyone but the Lord Fool himself, considering it was he who put him there for something nobody could even remember. Evidently this particular fool earned his title due to being foolishly loyal

Anytime somebody tried to enlighten him to the fact that Lord Fool was dead for like, a few good years now, all he would do was laugh and compliment them on their sense of humor. Every time God Tamer came near him, she would be bombarded by questions about whether Lord Fool has forgiven him yet, and she would NOT have this day ruined further by having to come up with yet another awkward excuse

When she finally got out, God Tamer immediately started taking on the aspids and hoopers throughout the Kingdom’s Edge, not that they were particularly tough, but there was a lot of them, and dodging the acid from the primal aspids was a challenge as usual

Eventually however it got boring, as always, and also as a result frustrating. Fights were supposed to be exciting dammit!

God Tamer finally gave up, and decided to start heading back, but she wanted to wash all the blood and acid from her armor first, luckily she knew there was a stream of water somewhere around these parts, she just needed to be careful not to run into that old grouch...

For a moment she was afraid it would be unavoidable, as she could clearly see a bug kneeling by the water, but it was much too small to be the old Nailmaster… too small and too blue, she walked closer to get a better look…the figure looked strangely familiar…

…

By the wyrm and root, it couldn't be…

Yes it was! It was that ant, what’s-his-name, who arrived at the colosseum a week or so ago, boasted to everyone about what great warrior he was and what not, and proceeded to die stupidly in his first trial. He was quite rude and even more full of himself than your average fool, so naturally everyone was pretty happy that they didn’t have to deal with him any longer. God Tamer however was a bit disappointed by this outcome…. It was a long time since she met another one of her kind, ants usually lived their whole lives at their colonies, never venturing further than their queen wished them to. She had hoped that maybe he could add some entertainment to her mundane life, who knew maybe he would turn out to be a nicer bug under his shell…

And his fighting style was certainly very unique too, God Tamer didn’t think she ever saw someone utilizing their shield as a weapon, not to such an extent at least. She really wanted to learn more about him, but then he got killed so quickly she didn’t even have the time to talk to him, such a disappointment

Or rather knocked out? Unless he somehow came back from the dead, which God Tamer doubted. But what was he doing here of all places? By how he was described to her, the ant should be back at the colosseum by now, trying to regain his lost honor or whatever. Instead he was here...doing laundry? Strange...but maybe she would get a chance to mess with him a bit

She started making her way towards him, maybe today wouldn't be so bad after all…

* * *

Tiso spun around abruptly, startled by the voice, it belonged to a red-armored bug who sure as hell wasn’t here just a few seconds ago, Tiso cursed himself silently, he was so preoccupied with extricating splatters of unidentified moisture out of Oro’s dirty glorified sheets, that he completely missed this bug approach, if it had malicious intents, he would be a goner for sure…

Thankfully that was not the case, but the bug had implied that they met before...or at least he...she knew him from somewhere, Tiso took a closer look….

Yep there was no mistaking that type of armor anywhere, she was definitely a Fool from the colosseum, and a fellow ant as well! It was a bit weird seeing another ant after all this time. Ants rarely stray off from their colonies...but it could happen, he himself was a proof of that, after all

But it was her armor that caught the most, from what he heard, red was the colour of armor belonging to the Champion of the Colosseum herself, could she be…. No, no it was surely not her, sure the champion was recognized by her armor among other things, but her even more prominent attributes were her humongous sword, said to be twice as tall as she was, and the fearsome beast she rode into the battle. Since Tiso could not see any of those two things with her, he concluded that this couldn't be the champion, the colour of her armor was not sufficient to base those kinds of assumptions on, any fool could paint theirs red

Which meant it was just another obnoxious fool

Probably here to laugh at his some more

He deeply resented the fact that he didn’t bring any weapon with him

It looked as if he was correct in his assessment as the fool in question mistook his lack of response as a permission to keep talking

~I mean, the way that Mawlek landed on you, that must’ve been really...crushing experience pfffff!~

Yep that confirmed it, no way someone cool enough to become a champion could be telling these kinds of jokes…

~So why are you here, doing laundry of all things? Shouldn't you be lying dead somewhere below the colosseum?~

Gods, didn’t this female have anything better to do than bothering him? Tiso was starting to lose patience, a small part of his mind was telling him to simply ignore her, finish his task, and leave. Tiso, being himself, ignored that part completely

~That thing didn’t weigh HALF of what it needed to crush me, for your information. Nothing your pathetic arena has in store would be enough to kill me, including you~

Tiso couldn't see under the other ant’s helmet, but he could feel her smirking underneath it

~Is that so, then I suppose you allowed yourself to be thrown out of the arena, you were just pretending to be dead as they dragged you to the edge? If so, then I have to give it to you, you're pretty good at it, maybe you should become an actor!~

Her tone gradually became more sarcastic and mocking through the sentence

Tiso’s hemolymph was starting to boil

And she wasn’t even done yet

~Seriously though, if you’re so great then what are you doing here washing clothes or whatever that is. Or maybe you’ve just realized, what a sad, pathetic excuse of a fighter you are, and decided to get a job at a laundry?~

Tiso’s vision has gone red, how DARE she?! He didn’t care that he had no weapon, he didn’t care he still wasn’t up to his full strength, HE WOULD BEAT THIS RED B*TCH TO A PULP WITH HIS BARE HANDS!

He launched himself at her, faster than she could react, and immediately yelled out in pain when his fist connected with her helmet

She just stared him for a moment ~Wow, you’re fast~ she said, her fingers wrapped around his wrist, and she twisted his arm painfully, at the same time she swept Tiso’s legs from underneath him with a kick, he lost his balance and fell to the ground with a grunt of pain

~But not very smart it seems~ She finished ~Now unless you want to die for real I’d suggest not to try this again~

Tiso slowly pulled himself up, he was still fuming inside, but now that the moment of blinding rage was over, he recognized how recklessly impulsive that was. Attacking someone obviously better prepared to fight than you, looks like his brawl with Oro didn’t teach him anything after all, damnit

He managed to quell the anger still burning inside him, and instead returned to his task, the...ugh...laundry was placed in the basket it was brought in, and Tiso was determined to get out of there as fast as possible

But the red clad bug was not done yet, as she stood in his way. ~Come On, tell me how you ended up here? You’re the most interesting thing that happened to me in months! Now will you share your story willingly or do I have to beat you up some more?~ It was clear that she meant what he said, and that she wouldn't let him go unless he complied. And so with a heavy sight, Tiso surrendered to his fate

After he was done telling his tale, they both fell silent, the only sound was the sound of the flowing water. Finally the fool spoke up ~Wow, you actually got the hermit grouh to teach you? I must say, I’ve misjudged you, there’s certainly something to you, since you managed to convince the biggest, most solitary bug around to teach you. Is that why you are doing his laundry?~

Tiso nodded, now more annoyed than angry ~Yes, if you really must know. Now will you let me go already?~  
She looked as if she was considering whether to, and Tiso wondered if it was worth it trying to punch her again, but finally she stepped aside and let him go, he went ahead immediately, not wanting to waste another second.

He really wanted to forget this ever happened as fast as possible, however this would be impossible since the red clad bug called out after him

~This really has been interesting! I’m looking forward to our next meeting!~

Tiso spun around so fast his laundry almost flew out of the basket ~What even makes you think there’ll ever be a ‘’next meeting’’ ? Why would you, or I, ever have the need to meet again?!~  
~Oh come on, don’t be like that. You really are the most interesting thing that happened to me in a looong time, that’s a compliment by the way, you can bet I will come back for some more!~

Tiso was about to unleash a volley of curses and counter arguments at her, but she added

~You can’t stop me from coming, no matter what you say, and I know where to look for you, so we’ll run to each other eventually. One might say...resisting is a fool's errand!~

Oh gods…

~Look at it this way~ she took a more sympathetic tone ~It will be beneficial for both of us! I’ll get to escape my boredom, and you’ll get to talk to someone who isn’t that old grouch, trust me it’ll be good for you, he’s notorious around here for being insufferably negative all the time~

Tiso couldn't disagree about that last part, but he still wasn’t happy about this, but what the other ant said next caught his attention ~I could even spar some more in the future, provided that you bring weapons next time…~

This throw him off a bit

~Why would we spar though? ~  
~Why for fun of course! Oh and I suppose it could be good for you to train with someone who isn’t twice your height and three times your weight once in a while... Some more practice never killed anybody, you might get some bruises though~

Tiso took a while to consider her words, she was pretty insufferable, but at this point he knew from experience that Oro could be far worse. His primary form of communication were grunts of disapproval or silence, and Tiso was pretty sure he was capable of only a single emotion, annoyance. Similarly, some more practice would be nice, Oro did agree to training him, but he sure as hell wouldn't overwork himself either

In the end Tiso found more benefits to this situation (although barely) and so he asked

~We’ll if we’re to meet again at least tell me your name first~ She seemed a bit surprised at this question  
~Wait, so you don’t know who I am? ~

Tiso tilted his head at this ~Uhhh...No…? I don’t think we’ve met before, I’m certain I would remember someone like you…’’

~Oh… I suppose we technically haven’t met before. Okay, my name is Go...go...Gold! Yeah, Gold, that’s me!~  
~You...sure? ~ Tiso was not convinced ~You seemed...unsure for a second there…~  
~Yes I’m sure, hehe...what did you think I forgot my own name?~

~Okay fair enough... I’m Tiso, now if you really want to help me ‘train’, just remember~ His tone got serious and he raised his hand, pointing at her ~That I won’t hesitate to use this experience against you when I finally get back to the colosseum, if you even survive until then that is’’

She didn’t look bothered in the slightest by his proclamation, if anything her posture was even more confident than before ~Oh it’s not me you should worry about, Tiso, but rather yourself, since I assure you, when we finally meet in the arena, I won’t hesitate either. Now go before your master grows (more) angry with you. I’ll be heading back to the arena myself, see you!~

And with that, she was gone

Tiso readjusted the laundry in his arms and resumed his journey to Oro’s hut, he kept grumbling to himself about the red ant as he went

~Who was that female anyway? What a strange name, ‘’Gold”, and what’s up with her and this constant need for entertainment? What kind of bug would even be bored at a place like the Colosseum of Fools? ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this might not have been the best start of a relationship, but I didn't want to write a story about love at first sight


	6. Listen to your surperiors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tiso decides to disobey his master and it goes about as well as you'd expect

When Tiso finally returned from his trip to the stream, Oro was unsurprisingly unhappy with how long it took him to get back. Luckily for the ant, the curtains were perfectly clean so Oro couldn’t really punish him for it 

It also made for a pretty good excuse for his delay, Oro didn’t need to know about his new ‘’friend’’ so Tiso simply told him that it took him this long because he did his job thoroughly.

Still, the large bug was as unpleasant as ever, and he quickly found something else to busy his apprentice with

This went on for a few more days, Oro finding new things to do for Tiso, and the ant doing them, with only moderate amounts of grumbling. Back in the day, when his ego was substantially smaller than it was now, Tiso would often fantasize about meeting an old, wise nailmaster who would take him as his apprentice. Suffice to say, his fantasy was not going like he imagined it would

But it wasn’t all bad, in fact, the method chosen by Oro seemed to be working. With each day the tasks were becoming easier, as his body slowly healed and his strength was slowly returning. 

Finally, Oro deemed him fit enough for the real training to begin. Tiso has been anxiously waiting for this moment, but before anything else, they had to find him an appropriate weapon

Oro suggested a nail at first and was understandably confused when Tiso somewhat sheepishly admitted that he never had a nail, to begin with

~ You mean to tell me that you fought in the colosseum, with only this tiny, broken thing? ~ Oro said, pointing to where Tiso’s shield was resting against the wall. He picked it up and gave it an examining look 

~ What are you going to do with it, bash your opponents on the head?

Tiso wrestled his shield away from the big bug ~ Actually yeah, that too, but mainly I’m going to cut them in half with the hidden blades inside 

That certainly caught Oro’s interest

~ Really? Then why don’t you show me how it works? I’m sure it’ll be quite a sight!

If bugs could blush, this comment would probably make Tiso’s face go red with embarrassment 

~ I would...but I can’t at the moment, oh don’t give me that look! Can’t you see the huge crack going all the way through? It’s broken! 

Oro gave him a skeptic look but didn’t press him further for details. Instead, he asked if Tiso could fix his shield, and was unhappy to learn that this wouldn't be possible without some proper tools

As a result, Tiso got some other shield as a replacement, for the time being (of a lower quality than his own, obviously) but Oro also insisted (rather firmly) that Tiso also learn to fight with a nail. He was a NAILmaster after all, not a shieldmaster, and learning more fighting styles would benefit him anyway, especially in the colosseum

And that’s how Tiso arrived where he was now, looking at the sharp piece of metal with doubt. The nail Oro has given him was a very simple one, functional, but without any ornaments or personality. Essentially just a sharp piece of metal 

After granting him his weapons, Oro sent Tiso to get accustomed to his new gear. There was a training dummy near the hut, and for the past hour Tiso has been taking his frustration out on it

He was supposed to get used to both the new shield and his new nail as well, but unsurprisingly only took a few swings with it before disregarding it in favor of the shield

It was in equal measure because of his unfamiliarity with nails in general, and just because he wanted to spite his master some more for having doubts in his shield. Oro might disagree, but Tiso knew that his shield was enough of a match for any nail or any warrior

This backfired spectacularly on him when his master arrived to check on his progress 

~ Have you practiced as I told you? ~ Oro’s voice startled the ant, Tiso spun around to see his master standing in silence a few steps away, his tone didn’t betray a single emotion, which could be considered an improvement since usually, it conveyed only negative emotions anyway

Tiso knew by now that Oro didn’t like elaborate speeches when there was no need for them, so his answer was quick and to the point

~Yes master, I did - but he couldn’t stop himself asking - How long have you been standing there? ~ 

~ Not that long ~ Oro approached the dummy to inspect what kind of damage Tiso managed to deal it - But not that short either, and during that time, not once did I see you practice with the nail, as I asked you to 

He motioned to the weapon laying uselessly on the ground nearby 

~ Care to Explain? 

~ Well, that’s because I did it at the beginning, and once I got the hang of it I switched to shield! ~ Tiso lied with a straight face, no sense in telling his (easily angered) master that he went against his orders!

~ Is that so? Well then let’s see what you learned! Wait here ~ Oro said, before disappearing back into his hut, Tiso could hear him rummaging for something inside, he could already feel the regret setting in

After a while, Oro stepped back out, holding what appeared to be two nails, upon closer inspection Tiso realized that indeed they were nails, just ones made out of wood

Oro nonchalantly tossed one of them to Tiso and said ~ Well since you’re so confident in your abilities, why don’t you show me how you fare?

Before Tiso could even formulate a protest, the gigantic bug was already coming at him with a speed that should be well out of reach for someone of that size. The ant managed to weakly block the first blow, but the second one knocked the wooden nail out of his hands. 

~ Pick it up ~ Oro’s voice was calm and collected, even if Tiso suspected there was a storm brewing underneath 

After he collected his nail, the two resumed their fight, and it ended in much the same way, this time Tiso managed to keep a hold of his equipment, but it was little consolation since the ant earned himself a painful blow to the side instead

Afterward, it was more of the same. Oro easily outperformed his apprentice every time, either knocking his weapon out of Tiso’s hand or knocking on Tiso himself. The ant thought that maybe his master would give him tips or explain what he was doing wrong, but Oro was almost silent all the way through. 

The ant was slowly becoming angrier and angrier, what was this? A private event for Oro to went his frustration? An elaborate effort to humiliate him? What purpose was in just knocking him around like that? 

Finally, bruised and aching ant was finished

~ Enough! ~ Tiso yelled as he threw his toy-nail to the ground ~ I refuse to do this a minute longer! 

~ Oh? Is that so? Mind telling me why? ~ Oro’s tone was just as neutral as before which only served to enrage the ant further

~ Why? WHY? Is that how you intend to teach me? Just toying with me until what? I learn on my own? Aren’t you supposed to tell me what I’m doing wrong? 

Oro just shrugged

~ Oh I don’t know, aren’t you supposed to listen to what I say ~

~ Huh? ~ 

~ I’m not as dumb as you thought, you know.~ Anger started slowly slipping into Oro’s previously calm tone ~ I know a thing or two about nail-fighting, they don’t call me a nailmaster for nothing, and from the way you are holding that thing I can say with certainty, that not for a second did you practice how I told you to. 

The bigger bug started approaching Tiso as his voice grew angrier, the ant didn’t want to show any weakness but having witnessed the wrath of his master once before, his body started retreating on its own. 

~ So tell me, Tiso, since I’m curious, why exactly should I try to explain ANYTHING to you, if you’re just gonna ignore me and do your own thing? 

Tiso’s back hit the cavern wall and he had no place left to escape, Oro’s gigantic form loomed over him threateningly. 

~ So, explain to me, if you will. Why didn’t you practice with the nail as I told you?

~ I-I told you, I don’t use nails… ~ He started weakly, but Oro was having none of that

~ SO WHAT?! I don’t care if you’re using your shield, a spear, or your own thick head to fight! As long as you’re learning under me, you will do as I say and if I say that you will learn to fight with a nail as well, you’re going to do so without a question!

He leaned closer to Tiso’s face, uncomfortably so 

~ Or if you don’t like that arrangement, you can pack up your things, get your broken shield, walk out the front door and stop wasting my time~ he hissed through his teeth 

~ Now which one will it be? 

Tiso clenched his fists, he wanted to tell this bug to shut up, to take his nails and shove them down his throat… but he couldn’t, not after Oro demonstrated his strength so bluntly, to antagonize him further would be suicidal

That, and also… Tiso knew his master was right, he deliberately ignored his master’s command and got what he deserved in return, again. If he wanted to improve himself, Tiso needed to stop listening to his massive ego and start listening to his master instead. He gloomily thought how many times he would need to learn this lesson before it finally set in 

He took in a deep breath

~ Master I… am sorry. You are right, I disobeyed your order and it got me nowhere. Please give me another chance, I’ll promise to do better from now on ~ He would never get used to apologizing to others, but sometimes it was necessary

Oro looked almost surprised, like he didn’t think the ant would apologize like that. He stepped back and started walking back to where they spared

~ Hmph, I should hope so, we’ll see if you learned your lesson. For now, get back here and take your real nail, it’s past time for you to learn how to properly wield it 

~ Yes master ~ Tiso got his nail and walker over to his master, who was already holding his gigantic one, who knew? Maybe learning to fight with a nail will be worthwhile after all?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry about this LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG wait but I needed to pass my exams and they decided to do them all at the same time, so I took a break from the story and now I'm slowly getting started again. Anyway, I hope you liked the new chapter and that the next will be done faster. See you next time!


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